TORRINGTON >> Board of Education members approved a 2013-2014 budget of $69,389,161, a $2.9 million or 4.4 percent increase, over last year's budget of $66,444,310. The budget will next go before the Board of Finance for final approval. While members praised each other and families for participating in the two month long budget process, some of the same members contended the process was started too close to the deadline to deliver the city a budget.

"We have to start the budget process in June, not in February. We need to get the cart back behind the horse," said Kenneth Traub, board of education chair.

The budget process itself also came under review. A sticking point for one speaker at Monday evening's special meeting was what she called a "perception" among parents that the budget process was not transparent.

District parent Mindy Skutt said she'd "reserved judgment," until the end of the budget process, since it was her first time participating in a budget season.

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"There are some serious issues that have to be addressed, they can't continue like this," Skutt said. "The budget needs to be transparent and you guys need to be transparent with us."

The perception was addressed again later by board member Paul Cavagnero, when a cut proposed by Torrington Mayor Ryan Bingham was discussed.

Business director Danielle Batchelder said about the $30,000 line item cut that, "It's just an area of the budget where we keep extra money in case something happens." Batchelder went on to discuss how a boiler had malfunctioned at Vogel-Wetmore School.

Board member Cavagnero responded that, "This goes to the perception that the BOE and the administration put the money in the budget to move it around."

He said the line item addressed "Social security, and you're talking about boilers. No offense but to a taxpayer, to a city councilman, to a board of finance man, this looks like a bananas way to run a business." Cavagnero said to "cut the B.S."

Three-quarters of a million dollars worth of cuts came from two board members: Fiona Cappabianca and Ellen Hoehne. The two brought proposals for $794,425 in cuts. Of that, $150,000 came from natural gas and electricity, $394,425 came from the special education budget and $250,000 came from line items for tuitions. All were approved.

Explaining the cuts, Cappabianca said, "We can't continue to not look at special [education] and let it keep moving up, and up, and up without doing a thorough analysis."

Some of the most contentious cuts proposed early in the budget season did not pass. According to district officials, Athletic Director Mike McKenna is funding junior varsity and varsity sports from within the athletic department budget, which they said spares the program and cost to the district. Middle school sports were funded by the board of education. No music programs were cut.

Other line items which survived the budget process include a Torrington High School guidance counselor slated for the chopping block in favor of a director of guidance. Both positions were funded by the board. Two Torrington High School teachers were added back into the budget after originally being cut in Superintendent Cheryl Kloczko's proposed budget. The board also continued funding the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program rather than roll out a "redesign" proposed by Kloczko.

The board of education approved the reduction of one custodian. A retirement submitted this year will not be backfilled.

The budget approved by the board of education is $2.2 million less than the budget proposed by Kloczko. The board is likely to face difficult questions during joint meetings with the board of finance. Traub has reported that, in talks with Bingham, there is "limited support" for a $2.5 million board of education budget increase.

All but one member of the board of education, Andrew Nargi, approved the budget.